Mixing scientists, artists and a post-punk band and getting them to explain complex concepts of the universe may seem like an idea out of this world, but for one night only in Manchester that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
After a chance meeting between The Membranes guitarist John Robb and legendary Manchester artist Michael Trainor the pair came up with the idea of hosting The Universe: Explained.
Post-punk bands, professors and poetry will blend in harmony to produce an educative and entertaining talk on all things space at Manchester’s very own Gorilla.
Described by organisers as being somewhere between ‘one of those late night Open University lectures from the 1970s and an experimental art happening à la Andy Warhol! Live’, the event promises to squeeze the oohs and aahs out of inquisitive minds.
Speaking to MM, John explained where his fascination with all things science began.
He said: “It’s always been there – the wonder of everything! Who wants to walk through life like a zombie?
“The universe and our place in it is endlessly fascinating and far more strange than anything anyone could ever make up.
“The thought of its endlessness puts everything into perspective and all the strange things that happen in it like dark matter, worm holes, bizarre gas clouds and strange suns.
“More esoteric theories like the billion universe idea and how the big bang started and how time bends and didn’t exist before the big bang are so mind blowing that who couldn’t be interested in them?
“Sometimes art and music are the only places where these kinds of things make any sense and also the top scientists who grapple with its strangeness and beauty every day and try to explain it all
“And that’s what we are doing with this event – combining it all together and going on a real, proper trip.”
The event came together after John met with the head of the Higgs Boson Project, a microscopic discovery made by CERN last year, and the two concocted the idea for the gig.
“I met the head of the Higgs Boson project when we were both giving a talk at the Ted X talks in Salford last year- over dinner he explained the whole of the universe that they understood so far and I thought that would make an amazing event,” he explained.
“He was also really into his music so the two disciplines were in place from the beginning.
“It was a great conversation and I realised that this was the person who was right at the front of the queue when it came to knowledge of the universe.
“A few weeks later I bumped into the great Manchester artist in the street and found out he had a mutual fascination with the universe and we quickly decided to combine our art and music and the scientists into a unique event.”
Co-creator of the event artist Michael Trainor, who is noted for complex art installations involving public interaction, is set to transform the entire audience into sub-atomic particles and invite them to interact with his very own thrifty DIY Hadron Collider.
Also in the line-up will be John Robb himself, a BBC Radio 6 Music regular and author of bestselling books The Stone Roses and Punk Rock, who will reunite in a spectacular explosion of music on the night alongside his band The Membranes with new member ex-Fall bassist Steve Hanley.
This isn’t just a day for the art lovers though with a lot of scientific discussion going on throughout the night, including talks from Professor John Ellis, a leading theoretical physicist from the Large Hadron Collider, and Dr. Radmila Topolovic from the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
“We want to make something that is entertaining and mind blowing,” Mr Robb added.
“We want something that makes you find out lots of weird stuff and see and hear music and art and scientists talking that stretches your mind as far as the universe!”
The Universe: Explained is set to launch with a big bang on July 20 at 7pm in Gorilla, Manchester.
For more information visit http://www.the-universe-explained.org/
Tickets are available for this event here
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